Technology, Technology, Technology

Some thirty years ago, only in science fiction would one come across the idea of a video-phone with which phone conversationalists might see each other. Not to mention computers, TV was rare. I still remember that a Pentium 3 was password locked and reserved for researches on theoretical mathematics in the department where I used to teach college English in China.

Education in America has put me on the fast track of technological advancement. I came to rely on computers for my homework and general communication: Word, Excel, Internet Explorer and e-mail. The list keeps expanding, from Power Point, Adobe reader, CD burning, photo editing, web page creation and maintenance to electronics and hardware including scanner, printer, digital camera, video camera, and other classroom multimedia equipment. When I returned to China in 2002, I was overwhelmed and amused by how common it was running into someone on the street yapping into a fist near his/her ear--cell phone and instant messaging were the order of the day. Software keeps growing, both in China and in the United States: QQ, "messengers," Skype, Facebook, et cetera, et cetera. I've visited and posted comments on friends' blogs. Working at Primary Source is propelling me to create one of my own.

My observation of technology is that hi-tech could be overwhelming and time-consuming at times. It's great when it works, but frustrating when it doesn't. Like language--a carrier of culture in my opinion--technology should be a service or a method as well. Language acquisition is the bridge to cross-cultural understanding and communication. By the same token, technology should be a means by which we fulfill tasks. We definitely should not be a slave to technology.